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♪

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GIAMATTI:
All along the New England coast,

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ospreys are icons of summer.

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They are specialists...

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known as the finest fisherman
among all birds of prey.

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They signal the change
from long, dark winters

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to long, sunny days.

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But ospreys are not here on vacation.

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They've come to take up
their greatest challenge...

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to compete with each other
in tight places...

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to fend off thieves...

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and predators...

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and to raise tiny, helpless chicks...

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into daring aerial acrobats.

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♪

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For an osprey,

21
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summer is no day at the beach.

22
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It's an annual call to battle...

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and the toughest test
of everything they are.

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♪

25
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♪

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[Birds calling]

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GIAMATTI: What inspires a bird

28
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to leave his home in the tropics,

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00:01:51,628 --> 00:01:54,976
where the weather is warm
and the fishing is easy?

30
00:01:55,011 --> 00:01:57,531
♪

31
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Much of the answer remains a mystery,

32
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but it comes from a need deep within him.

33
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♪

34
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The hero of our story is an osprey...

35
00:02:11,269 --> 00:02:13,271
a bird of prey...

36
00:02:13,305 --> 00:02:15,514
and he's on his way north...

37
00:02:15,549 --> 00:02:17,792
answering that inner call.

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00:02:17,827 --> 00:02:25,179
♪

39
00:02:25,214 --> 00:02:28,355
From somewhere along the coast
of South America,

40
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he's set his course
for one specific shoreline,

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some 4,000 miles away.

42
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♪

43
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Our osprey, it turns out,

44
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is a New Englander at heart...

45
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and he's heading home.

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♪

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Weighing just three pounds,

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he travels light and fast...

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and all alone.

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♪

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He flies up the East Coast
of the United States...

52
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heading straight into
his toughest time of the year.

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♪

54
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Four weeks into his journey,

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he leaves New York City behind

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and turns northeast along
the shore of Long Island Sound.

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♪

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♪

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Spread out below him is
an osprey's moveable feast...

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a watery maze left by glaciers
many eons ago.

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♪

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♪

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This is the delta of
the Connecticut River.

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♪

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Dredged and farmed for centuries,

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it's now hemmed in on both sides
by houses and humans.

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♪

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Yet it remains a wild place...

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still governed by the tides
and the seasons...

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and it's here that the osprey was born.

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♪

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It's late March...

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and he's back in his home waters...

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where he first tasted fish...

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where he first learned to fly.

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His focus turns immediately

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to the most important piece
of real estate in the marsh.

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It's an old piling standing
just off an abandoned island.

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This was his true destination all along.

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It's just a ramshackle pile of sticks,

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but this is his nest,

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and he's come home early to reclaim it.

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After a long winter,
it's a wonder it's still here.

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Yet before he can even start on repairs,

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there's a crisis...

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eagles!

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This is trouble.

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Bald eagles are bigger,
stronger than our osprey...

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they're known to attack osprey nests,

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taking eggs, even chicks.

91
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♪

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They may also be looking to
build a nest of their own...

93
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in his marsh!

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♪

95
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The eagles appear to be a young couple,

96
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and not very experienced...

97
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and the male takes the bait.

98
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♪

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The osprey is battle tested...

100
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and launches his attack from above.

101
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♪

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Though he's much smaller,

103
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he's more agile in the air.

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♪

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Even an eagle respects the power
of an osprey's lethal talons.

106
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♪

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For the young eagles, it's easier...

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and safer... to simply move on.

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♪

110
00:07:07,772 --> 00:07:11,189
And so begins another
New England summer...

111
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a season of one challenge after another...

112
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and the best way to start

113
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is with a good breakfast.

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♪

115
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Fish are his only prey...

116
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and fishing is what an osprey does best.

117
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♪

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His long, narrow wings,
up to six feet across,

119
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enable him to actually hover...
like a giant kingfisher...

120
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while his keen, bright yellow
eyes penetrate the waters below.

121
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♪

122
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But it's the dive...

123
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wings drawn in,

124
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eyes lined up behind wide-open talons...

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that brings all his strengths
together in one pure motion.

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♪

127
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♪

128
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No other raptor can
totally submerge like this.

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♪

130
00:08:19,809 --> 00:08:22,087
His feet and talons are custom made

131
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for grasping a slippery fish.

132
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♪

133
00:08:26,506 --> 00:08:28,369
Even his dense, oily feathers

134
00:08:28,404 --> 00:08:32,028
are specially designed to shed water...

135
00:08:32,063 --> 00:08:35,238
with a mid-flight, shaggy-dog shake.

136
00:08:35,273 --> 00:08:42,556
♪

137
00:08:46,974 --> 00:08:49,252
Our osprey is not the only one

138
00:08:49,287 --> 00:08:51,945
concerned about his home in the marsh.

139
00:08:51,979 --> 00:08:56,087
Year-round residents rely on
this patch of wild country, too.

140
00:08:59,021 --> 00:09:01,195
A woodchuck is out of his burrow,

141
00:09:01,230 --> 00:09:03,059
planning his next move.

142
00:09:05,303 --> 00:09:07,961
Woodchucks hibernate through the winter.

143
00:09:07,995 --> 00:09:12,690
The mound he has created sits at
the entrance of his winter den.

144
00:09:12,724 --> 00:09:15,140
Now, he's ready to shift up-country

145
00:09:15,175 --> 00:09:18,523
to a summer burrow he also maintains.

146
00:09:22,216 --> 00:09:24,115
Out in the tall grass,

147
00:09:24,149 --> 00:09:26,151
a fox takes notice.

148
00:09:26,186 --> 00:09:30,431
She's a capable predator of woodchucks,

149
00:09:30,466 --> 00:09:31,950
but at the moment,

150
00:09:31,985 --> 00:09:34,746
she's more interested
in his plans to leave.

151
00:09:39,855 --> 00:09:43,203
A woodchuck burrow is
a masterwork of home security

152
00:09:43,237 --> 00:09:45,757
and protection from the elements.

153
00:09:48,898 --> 00:09:52,419
The fox is getting ready to have a family.

154
00:09:52,453 --> 00:09:57,286
She needs this den and is quick
to claim it for herself.

155
00:10:00,530 --> 00:10:03,119
[Birds calling]

156
00:10:14,372 --> 00:10:16,029
It's morning in the marsh,

157
00:10:16,063 --> 00:10:17,996
and one by one,

158
00:10:18,031 --> 00:10:21,621
ospreys are arriving
from far-flung places.

159
00:10:26,833 --> 00:10:30,906
Many have spent the winter along
rivers in the vast Amazon Basin.

160
00:10:33,425 --> 00:10:36,636
Now, they converge in the delta
of the Connecticut River,

161
00:10:36,670 --> 00:10:41,882
more than 150 ospreys
in just 15 square miles.

162
00:10:43,988 --> 00:10:46,991
Osprey nest platforms dot the marsh.

163
00:10:47,025 --> 00:10:51,029
They're additional nest sites
built to help the birds

164
00:10:51,064 --> 00:10:55,309
recover from the toxic
devastations of DDT.

165
00:10:59,072 --> 00:11:01,074
For the savvy resident gulls,

166
00:11:01,108 --> 00:11:03,835
all these summer raptors are rivals...

167
00:11:03,870 --> 00:11:07,701
and potential marks.

168
00:11:07,736 --> 00:11:10,497
The largest, the Great Black-backed gull,

169
00:11:10,531 --> 00:11:13,396
has been king of the beach all winter.

170
00:11:13,431 --> 00:11:15,364
He's used to getting his way.

171
00:11:15,398 --> 00:11:17,642
♪

172
00:11:17,677 --> 00:11:21,370
He sees an osprey with a fish...
and he wants it.

173
00:11:21,404 --> 00:11:31,380
♪

174
00:11:31,414 --> 00:11:41,424
♪

175
00:11:41,459 --> 00:11:45,118
But now, it's beak against talon...

176
00:11:45,152 --> 00:11:49,950
♪

177
00:11:49,985 --> 00:11:52,021
...and the better weapon wins.

178
00:12:03,481 --> 00:12:05,034
Our male has been waiting

179
00:12:05,069 --> 00:12:09,176
for one special osprey
to come home to the marsh.

180
00:12:09,211 --> 00:12:13,836
♪

181
00:12:13,871 --> 00:12:17,115
And right on time, she arrives.

182
00:12:17,150 --> 00:12:20,567
♪

183
00:12:20,601 --> 00:12:22,845
She's the partner he's counting on

184
00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:25,123
to make the summer a success.

185
00:12:25,158 --> 00:12:29,231
♪

186
00:12:29,265 --> 00:12:31,958
This will be their 10th season together.

187
00:12:31,992 --> 00:12:38,102
But their long fidelity is not
exactly to each other;

188
00:12:38,136 --> 00:12:40,794
it's the nest they return to each year...

189
00:12:40,829 --> 00:12:46,075
the nest they build and defend together.

190
00:12:49,665 --> 00:12:52,979
But first, they must get reacquainted.

191
00:12:53,013 --> 00:12:55,291
Nothing is taken for granted.

192
00:13:01,711 --> 00:13:05,543
He greets her with the perfect gift...

193
00:13:05,577 --> 00:13:08,063
an impressive stick for the nest.

194
00:13:08,097 --> 00:13:17,244
♪

195
00:13:17,279 --> 00:13:26,495
♪

196
00:13:26,529 --> 00:13:30,740
Next, he offers her a fresh fish.

197
00:13:30,775 --> 00:13:33,088
He's both a builder and a provider.

198
00:13:33,122 --> 00:13:38,472
♪

199
00:13:38,507 --> 00:13:43,857
♪

200
00:13:43,892 --> 00:13:47,309
Soon, they are working
on the nest together,

201
00:13:47,343 --> 00:13:49,173
stick by stick.

202
00:13:49,207 --> 00:13:57,698
♪

203
00:13:57,733 --> 00:14:06,155
♪

204
00:14:06,190 --> 00:14:14,784
♪

205
00:14:14,819 --> 00:14:19,203
As the structure grows stronger,
so does their bond.

206
00:14:19,237 --> 00:14:23,517
♪

207
00:14:23,552 --> 00:14:26,210
They take their courtship to the air,

208
00:14:26,244 --> 00:14:29,144
flying in unison.

209
00:14:29,178 --> 00:14:34,321
♪

210
00:14:34,356 --> 00:14:36,565
They have become a team again,

211
00:14:36,599 --> 00:14:38,670
a perfect pair.

212
00:14:38,705 --> 00:14:42,743
♪

213
00:14:49,578 --> 00:14:54,894
Tiny tree swallows are courting
and building nests, too.

214
00:14:54,928 --> 00:14:58,207
They prefer natural cavities
in standing dead trees.

215
00:15:00,727 --> 00:15:03,488
But such nest sites are hard to find.

216
00:15:06,284 --> 00:15:07,941
So there's considerable excitement

217
00:15:07,976 --> 00:15:11,048
over this prime, old woodpecker hole.

218
00:15:17,537 --> 00:15:21,506
Hopeful house hunters
are eager to see inside.

219
00:15:23,923 --> 00:15:26,649
But, of course, it's already occupied.

220
00:15:26,684 --> 00:15:29,342
The best places always are.

221
00:15:35,589 --> 00:15:39,835
The ospreys are having
a housing crisis of their own.

222
00:15:39,869 --> 00:15:42,320
They want to nest up high,

223
00:15:42,355 --> 00:15:45,185
but even with all the platforms,

224
00:15:45,220 --> 00:15:46,462
there are not enough sites

225
00:15:46,497 --> 00:15:49,500
for the birds that have come to breed.

226
00:15:49,534 --> 00:15:53,607
Young, less experienced ones lose out.

227
00:15:53,642 --> 00:15:57,370
Their only way to get a good nest site

228
00:15:57,404 --> 00:15:59,475
is to steal one.

229
00:15:59,510 --> 00:16:06,206
♪

230
00:16:06,241 --> 00:16:13,075
♪

231
00:16:13,110 --> 00:16:15,353
A young osprey with ramped up hormones

232
00:16:15,388 --> 00:16:18,494
launches a direct attack on our pair.

233
00:16:18,529 --> 00:16:21,463
♪

234
00:16:21,497 --> 00:16:24,811
It's a rash move with
little chance of success.

235
00:16:24,845 --> 00:16:26,882
The pair is strong,

236
00:16:26,916 --> 00:16:29,781
and they know their jobs.

237
00:16:29,816 --> 00:16:33,785
He heads up to provide air cover
over the nest.

238
00:16:33,820 --> 00:16:38,825
♪

239
00:16:38,859 --> 00:16:43,933
♪

240
00:16:43,968 --> 00:16:47,558
She hunkers down
to protect their property.

241
00:16:47,592 --> 00:16:54,634
♪

242
00:16:54,668 --> 00:16:56,912
Young birds keep coming,

243
00:16:56,946 --> 00:17:00,157
but they can find no opening
in the pair's defenses.

244
00:17:00,191 --> 00:17:08,855
♪

245
00:17:08,889 --> 00:17:10,615
Young challengers aren't likely

246
00:17:10,650 --> 00:17:13,308
to overwhelm ospreys in their prime.

247
00:17:13,342 --> 00:17:23,111
♪

248
00:17:23,145 --> 00:17:26,528
They're reduced to nesting
attempts out on the marsh flats.

249
00:17:28,668 --> 00:17:33,259
A nest out here is open to
predators from every direction.

250
00:17:33,293 --> 00:17:37,677
It's always in danger of flooding.

251
00:17:37,711 --> 00:17:42,095
♪

252
00:17:42,130 --> 00:17:45,754
Yet they decide any nest is
better than no nest at all.

253
00:17:45,788 --> 00:17:49,240
♪

254
00:17:49,275 --> 00:17:53,002
So they build...

255
00:17:53,037 --> 00:17:56,213
and mate...

256
00:17:56,247 --> 00:17:58,284
and take their chances.

257
00:18:03,254 --> 00:18:04,980
Back at the island nest,

258
00:18:05,014 --> 00:18:08,846
the structure is now fit for service.

259
00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:11,849
♪

260
00:18:11,883 --> 00:18:16,647
The male launches into
his most impressive display.

261
00:18:16,681 --> 00:18:18,959
♪

262
00:18:18,994 --> 00:18:21,445
Climbing hundreds of feet in the air,

263
00:18:21,479 --> 00:18:24,033
and carrying a fish for maximum effect,

264
00:18:24,068 --> 00:18:26,035
he starts the show.

265
00:18:26,070 --> 00:18:32,835
♪

266
00:18:32,870 --> 00:18:35,735
He performs dramatic loops in the air...

267
00:18:35,769 --> 00:18:38,669
where every other osprey can see him.

268
00:18:38,703 --> 00:18:42,707
♪

269
00:18:42,742 --> 00:18:45,227
It's called a "sky-dance."

270
00:18:45,262 --> 00:18:49,335
Accompanied by a distinctive,
high-pitched call,

271
00:18:49,369 --> 00:18:53,062
it's a show of stamina, of bravado.

272
00:18:53,097 --> 00:18:57,998
♪

273
00:18:58,033 --> 00:19:01,312
Far below, his mate calls back.

274
00:19:01,347 --> 00:19:03,314
♪

275
00:19:03,349 --> 00:19:08,181
Perhaps it's an encouragement...

276
00:19:08,216 --> 00:19:11,288
for when he returns, they mate.

277
00:19:15,395 --> 00:19:17,570
He turns his talons inward

278
00:19:17,604 --> 00:19:21,850
before carefully resting them on her back.

279
00:19:21,884 --> 00:19:24,611
His touch is remarkably tender.

280
00:19:34,483 --> 00:19:37,693
They will mate many times
over the next two weeks.

281
00:19:39,108 --> 00:19:42,284
Then she will lay a clutch
of beautiful brown eggs

282
00:19:42,319 --> 00:19:45,287
into the soft center of the nest.

283
00:19:56,505 --> 00:20:00,992
The marsh has seen many changes
in its long, ice-age history.

284
00:20:01,027 --> 00:20:03,892
Yet washed by tides
and nourished by the river,

285
00:20:03,926 --> 00:20:05,963
it remains so fertile,

286
00:20:05,997 --> 00:20:09,449
it still feeds multitudes
when they need it most.

287
00:20:12,866 --> 00:20:14,282
It's early May,

288
00:20:14,316 --> 00:20:17,216
and a flock of dunlin has arrived.

289
00:20:19,701 --> 00:20:23,670
They are joined by sandpipers
and plovers...

290
00:20:23,705 --> 00:20:26,535
whimbrels and yellowlegs...

291
00:20:26,570 --> 00:20:29,918
all finding rich pickings in the mudflats.

292
00:20:36,614 --> 00:20:38,720
Hundreds of thousands of shorebirds

293
00:20:38,754 --> 00:20:41,240
are stopping at
essential marshes like this

294
00:20:41,274 --> 00:20:43,863
on their way north.

295
00:20:46,072 --> 00:20:48,937
They're going to the high Arctic
to breed...

296
00:20:48,971 --> 00:20:52,458
if they can stock up on
enough fuel to survive the trip.

297
00:20:54,114 --> 00:20:56,841
[Thunder rumbles]

298
00:21:31,428 --> 00:21:35,328
At the nest, a raucous set of
house sparrows has moved in

299
00:21:35,363 --> 00:21:38,158
and is busy making nests of their own

300
00:21:38,193 --> 00:21:41,679
inside the ospreys' great pile of sticks.

301
00:21:47,478 --> 00:21:49,722
The quiet single-family home

302
00:21:49,756 --> 00:21:52,311
has turned into a lively little village.

303
00:22:01,596 --> 00:22:05,082
Magnanimously,
the ospreys don't seem to mind.

304
00:22:18,267 --> 00:22:22,375
The female has been sitting
for 37 straight days.

305
00:22:26,828 --> 00:22:30,728
Every day, the male has
faithfully brought her fish.

306
00:22:30,763 --> 00:22:34,732
This time, she rises...

307
00:22:34,767 --> 00:22:38,046
to reveal, at last, his reward.

308
00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:47,538
♪

309
00:22:47,573 --> 00:22:52,060
This is what their partnership
has been all about.

310
00:22:52,094 --> 00:22:57,410
♪

311
00:22:57,445 --> 00:23:02,726
♪

312
00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:06,074
We cannot read their inscrutable faces,

313
00:23:06,108 --> 00:23:08,456
but we can see how careful they are

314
00:23:08,490 --> 00:23:12,252
to protect their tiny chick
from their talons.

315
00:23:12,287 --> 00:23:18,431
♪

316
00:23:18,466 --> 00:23:20,813
Within moments, a ritual begins

317
00:23:20,847 --> 00:23:24,782
that will play out every day
for the next two months.

318
00:23:24,817 --> 00:23:27,371
Dad brings in a fresh fish,

319
00:23:27,406 --> 00:23:29,960
Mom tears tender pieces of it

320
00:23:29,994 --> 00:23:32,997
and delicately feeds the hungry new mouth.

321
00:23:33,032 --> 00:23:39,348
♪

322
00:23:39,383 --> 00:23:43,732
But soon, everyone's exhausted
by the whole thing.

323
00:23:43,767 --> 00:23:51,291
♪

324
00:23:51,326 --> 00:23:58,816
♪

325
00:23:58,851 --> 00:24:06,306
♪

326
00:24:15,177 --> 00:24:17,594
The eggs are laid three days apart

327
00:24:17,628 --> 00:24:20,251
and hatch in the same order.

328
00:24:20,286 --> 00:24:25,360
Now, a second little chick
is also eager to be fed.

329
00:24:30,883 --> 00:24:34,265
Good parenting will help her
catch up with her big sister.

330
00:24:40,202 --> 00:24:43,551
One egg remains.

331
00:24:46,726 --> 00:24:50,178
But the two active chicks
need constant care.

332
00:24:53,940 --> 00:24:57,944
As the female broods the chicks
under her warm feathers,

333
00:24:57,979 --> 00:25:01,569
the last egg sits out in the cold.

334
00:25:08,334 --> 00:25:17,274
♪

335
00:25:17,308 --> 00:25:21,036
Finally, with his two older
siblings fed and quiet,

336
00:25:21,071 --> 00:25:25,662
the third baby osprey
breaks out of his shell...

337
00:25:25,696 --> 00:25:27,905
and joins the family.

338
00:25:27,940 --> 00:25:33,048
♪

339
00:25:33,083 --> 00:25:38,122
♪

340
00:25:39,986 --> 00:25:43,542
He's so weak and tiny
compared to his two big sisters,

341
00:25:43,576 --> 00:25:45,820
he can't seem to get any attention.

342
00:25:47,580 --> 00:25:49,582
He can't even manage to get up.

343
00:26:00,489 --> 00:26:02,457
He struggles and struggles...

344
00:26:04,770 --> 00:26:07,186
...while his sisters
eat and eat...

345
00:26:09,395 --> 00:26:13,882
♪

346
00:26:13,917 --> 00:26:15,643
...and then finally,

347
00:26:15,677 --> 00:26:17,472
that little mouth in the back,

348
00:26:17,506 --> 00:26:19,681
the one that needs it the most,

349
00:26:19,716 --> 00:26:22,339
gets its first taste of fish.

350
00:26:22,373 --> 00:26:27,862
♪

351
00:26:27,896 --> 00:26:30,658
His sisters aren't pleased about sharing.

352
00:26:30,692 --> 00:26:33,626
But his mother seems to know
what she's doing.

353
00:26:42,566 --> 00:26:46,984
Day by day, all three chicks are growing,

354
00:26:47,019 --> 00:26:50,229
even though he remains the smallest.

355
00:27:02,828 --> 00:27:05,554
[Bell clanging]

356
00:27:07,764 --> 00:27:09,455
♪

357
00:27:09,489 --> 00:27:12,458
At the fox den, it's an important night.

358
00:27:12,492 --> 00:27:16,807
Dad sets off to hunt,
and under the cover of darkness,

359
00:27:16,842 --> 00:27:20,086
the tiny kits, now about five weeks old,

360
00:27:20,121 --> 00:27:23,676
take their first foray outside the den.

361
00:27:23,711 --> 00:27:25,851
♪

362
00:27:25,885 --> 00:27:29,233
Six roly-poly little foxes tumble out,

363
00:27:29,268 --> 00:27:32,892
followed by their surely exhausted mother.

364
00:27:32,927 --> 00:27:42,488
♪

365
00:27:42,522 --> 00:27:44,973
Both parents hunt now,

366
00:27:45,008 --> 00:27:48,114
bringing meal after meal home to the den.

367
00:27:48,149 --> 00:27:56,019
♪

368
00:27:56,053 --> 00:27:59,643
Some nights, it's a mouthful of voles,

369
00:27:59,678 --> 00:28:03,440
on another it's an enormous rabbit!

370
00:28:03,474 --> 00:28:08,100
♪

371
00:28:08,134 --> 00:28:12,414
Including themselves,
they have eight foxes to feed.

372
00:28:20,664 --> 00:28:23,598
[Birds calling]

373
00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:37,957
The marsh is now bursting with new life.

374
00:28:42,065 --> 00:28:45,654
Part land, part river, part salty sea,

375
00:28:45,689 --> 00:28:50,590
it provides such a rich
livelihood to so many families,

376
00:28:50,625 --> 00:28:54,111
it's among the most prolific
nurseries in nature.

377
00:29:00,428 --> 00:29:02,257
In their coveted tree hole,

378
00:29:02,292 --> 00:29:04,708
the tree swallow parents
are coming and going

379
00:29:04,743 --> 00:29:07,849
with insects for their brood of five.

380
00:29:11,232 --> 00:29:13,924
Two white-tailed does bring their fawns

381
00:29:13,959 --> 00:29:16,858
out of the forest
to the edge of the shore.

382
00:29:19,136 --> 00:29:20,862
Behind them in the trees,

383
00:29:20,897 --> 00:29:23,934
a red-shouldered hawk
feeds her little chicks.

384
00:29:30,907 --> 00:29:34,773
The fox kits are playing
in the perfect afternoon.

385
00:29:34,807 --> 00:29:37,568
Yet they've already discovered

386
00:29:37,603 --> 00:29:40,468
that not every day will turn out well.

387
00:29:40,502 --> 00:29:43,954
One is severely injured...

388
00:29:43,989 --> 00:29:46,405
and instead of six,

389
00:29:46,439 --> 00:29:49,615
there are now only five.

390
00:29:49,649 --> 00:29:52,583
♪

391
00:29:52,618 --> 00:29:56,070
Their salt marsh is as rough
and wild a place to grow up

392
00:29:56,104 --> 00:29:58,797
as any wilderness.

393
00:30:05,217 --> 00:30:07,736
The year is swinging into summer...

394
00:30:07,771 --> 00:30:10,429
the High Season on Long Island Sound.

395
00:30:14,502 --> 00:30:16,124
The fishing grounds of the osprey

396
00:30:16,159 --> 00:30:19,610
have become a playground
for beachgoers and boaters...

397
00:30:19,645 --> 00:30:22,993
all enjoying a bright afternoon.

398
00:30:26,755 --> 00:30:29,828
When it's hot,
everyone heads for the water.

399
00:30:32,175 --> 00:30:34,763
Even a deer enjoys a swim...

400
00:30:34,798 --> 00:30:38,491
and paddles out for a summer
retreat on the osprey's island.

401
00:30:42,530 --> 00:30:44,946
Our pair has new neighbors.

402
00:30:44,981 --> 00:30:48,432
A dead tree some 30 yards
behind the pilings

403
00:30:48,467 --> 00:30:51,470
is now hosting the beginnings
of a new nest.

404
00:30:51,504 --> 00:30:54,473
They must be young builders.

405
00:30:54,507 --> 00:30:56,889
It's late in the season
to start such a thing...

406
00:30:56,924 --> 00:30:59,892
and our pair takes no notice of them.

407
00:31:06,450 --> 00:31:08,694
In their nest, the three chicks

408
00:31:08,728 --> 00:31:12,974
have been eating, sleeping,
and growing stronger.

409
00:31:19,291 --> 00:31:23,812
Their mom is still
painstakingly feeding each one,

410
00:31:23,847 --> 00:31:26,470
but the little male is still much smaller

411
00:31:26,505 --> 00:31:28,817
than his two big sisters.

412
00:31:28,852 --> 00:31:32,718
But he's been gaining a lot of attitude

413
00:31:32,752 --> 00:31:35,238
along with a little weight.

414
00:31:38,103 --> 00:31:40,968
He doesn't win many tussles
with his bigger siblings,

415
00:31:41,002 --> 00:31:43,384
but he's putting up a fight.

416
00:31:52,911 --> 00:31:56,259
Their mother, who has been
devotedly keeping them warm,

417
00:31:56,293 --> 00:31:59,676
now has to worry about keeping them cool.

418
00:31:59,710 --> 00:32:02,748
But they are on their way to
solving that for themselves.

419
00:32:02,782 --> 00:32:05,785
Their feathers are coming in...

420
00:32:05,820 --> 00:32:10,135
one of nature's best inventions
for moderating temperature.

421
00:32:10,169 --> 00:32:13,828
And their looks are changing too,

422
00:32:13,862 --> 00:32:17,728
suddenly taking on
the daunting aspect of raptors.

423
00:32:17,763 --> 00:32:19,972
They're well on their way to becoming

424
00:32:20,007 --> 00:32:22,181
the fierce birds they're meant to be.

425
00:32:27,083 --> 00:32:31,397
Yet they still patiently take
one offered bite at a time,

426
00:32:31,432 --> 00:32:33,434
more like three well-behaved children

427
00:32:33,468 --> 00:32:35,954
than mighty predators in training.

428
00:32:40,096 --> 00:32:43,858
As they grow,
their demand for fish does too.

429
00:32:43,892 --> 00:32:47,137
[Calling]

430
00:32:47,172 --> 00:32:51,383
The female is constantly asking
the male for more food...

431
00:32:51,417 --> 00:32:54,006
but he already knows his job.

432
00:32:54,041 --> 00:32:58,528
♪

433
00:32:58,562 --> 00:33:00,806
He's out fishing, of course.

434
00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:05,155
This is what he came 4,000 miles to do.

435
00:33:05,190 --> 00:33:12,473
♪

436
00:33:12,507 --> 00:33:15,165
He needs to see a fish to catch it,

437
00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:17,547
and he has 15 hours of daylight

438
00:33:17,581 --> 00:33:19,721
here at the height of the season.

439
00:33:19,756 --> 00:33:24,105
That's a big help
with a family of five to feed.

440
00:33:24,140 --> 00:33:27,350
♪

441
00:33:27,384 --> 00:33:30,042
He also provides quite a menu;

442
00:33:30,077 --> 00:33:32,872
he serves up a fluke,

443
00:33:32,907 --> 00:33:35,944
then a winter flounder,

444
00:33:35,979 --> 00:33:38,292
a porgy,

445
00:33:38,326 --> 00:33:40,363
and a menhaden.

446
00:33:40,397 --> 00:33:44,539
♪

447
00:33:44,574 --> 00:33:46,748
The chicks consume them all...

448
00:33:46,783 --> 00:33:50,062
learning the taste of
each different fish...

449
00:33:50,097 --> 00:33:55,723
while their dad takes a moment
to power wash his talons.

450
00:33:55,757 --> 00:34:01,487
♪

451
00:34:12,705 --> 00:34:14,224
Three weeks after hatching,

452
00:34:14,259 --> 00:34:16,985
all three chicks are growing fast.

453
00:34:19,057 --> 00:34:21,749
The little male is still the smallest.

454
00:34:21,783 --> 00:34:24,269
He's in that "awkward" stage.

455
00:34:24,303 --> 00:34:27,410
Like his "osprey suit" is too big for him.

456
00:34:28,894 --> 00:34:30,206
But the fact is,

457
00:34:30,240 --> 00:34:33,933
he will always be smaller
than his sisters.

458
00:34:33,968 --> 00:34:36,004
As in all birds of prey,

459
00:34:36,039 --> 00:34:40,216
females will be up to 30% bigger
than the males.

460
00:34:40,250 --> 00:34:43,702
Perhaps that extra size
helps them get through

461
00:34:43,736 --> 00:34:45,807
the demanding weeks of sharing their food

462
00:34:45,842 --> 00:34:50,053
with three extra mouths.

463
00:34:50,088 --> 00:34:52,297
[Calling]

464
00:34:52,331 --> 00:34:54,264
Their mother continues to call...

465
00:34:54,299 --> 00:34:57,371
and the stress on her is starting to show.

466
00:34:57,405 --> 00:34:59,925
She looks thin... and hungry.

467
00:35:02,514 --> 00:35:04,930
And despite the bounty
of fish in the sound,

468
00:35:04,964 --> 00:35:07,415
his job is getting harder, too.

469
00:35:09,521 --> 00:35:12,524
The population of the marsh has boomed.

470
00:35:12,558 --> 00:35:15,837
Seagulls and cormorants have taken over

471
00:35:15,872 --> 00:35:18,875
rocky offshore islands
to raise chicks, too.

472
00:35:18,909 --> 00:35:23,190
The demand for fish has really ramped up.

473
00:35:24,501 --> 00:35:30,058
♪

474
00:35:30,093 --> 00:35:35,581
♪

475
00:35:35,616 --> 00:35:37,997
It takes an extraordinary effort

476
00:35:38,032 --> 00:35:41,691
for a three-pound bird to lift
a fish out of the water.

477
00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:47,145
But the bigger challenge now
is holding on to it.

478
00:35:47,179 --> 00:35:52,253
♪

479
00:35:52,288 --> 00:35:57,396
♪

480
00:35:57,431 --> 00:36:01,780
Osprey against osprey is
a test of strength in the air.

481
00:36:01,814 --> 00:36:10,685
♪

482
00:36:10,720 --> 00:36:13,585
The bird carrying the fish is handicapped.

483
00:36:13,619 --> 00:36:15,656
♪

484
00:36:15,690 --> 00:36:19,453
It takes powerful wings indeed
to stay out in front...

485
00:36:19,487 --> 00:36:23,388
especially when the fish itself
is still putting up a fight!

486
00:36:26,701 --> 00:36:30,429
And ospreys aren't the only
pirates in these waters.

487
00:36:30,464 --> 00:36:32,535
♪

488
00:36:32,569 --> 00:36:36,297
Double-crested cormorants
usually dive for their fish.

489
00:36:36,332 --> 00:36:38,679
♪

490
00:36:38,713 --> 00:36:44,132
Now, one has the nerve to pursue
our male straight into the sky.

491
00:36:44,167 --> 00:36:53,970
♪

492
00:36:54,004 --> 00:37:03,738
♪

493
00:37:03,773 --> 00:37:05,671
It's a big mistake.

494
00:37:05,706 --> 00:37:09,606
♪

495
00:37:09,641 --> 00:37:12,540
Upon delivering the catch to the nest,

496
00:37:12,575 --> 00:37:15,267
the male turns...

497
00:37:15,302 --> 00:37:19,340
to deliver a message
to the cormorant colony.

498
00:37:19,375 --> 00:37:24,552
♪

499
00:37:24,587 --> 00:37:28,142
He begins with a fly-by...

500
00:37:28,176 --> 00:37:31,145
then, he picks a target.

501
00:37:31,179 --> 00:37:39,671
♪

502
00:37:39,705 --> 00:37:42,398
The colony is suddenly wide awake.

503
00:37:42,432 --> 00:37:44,331
Everyone is instantly aware

504
00:37:44,365 --> 00:37:47,126
of the talons descending from above.

505
00:37:47,161 --> 00:37:51,890
♪

506
00:37:51,924 --> 00:37:56,757
But now, he's just trolling them...

507
00:37:56,791 --> 00:37:58,345
just making a point.

508
00:37:58,379 --> 00:38:04,420
♪

509
00:38:04,454 --> 00:38:10,529
♪

510
00:38:10,564 --> 00:38:13,774
He's the top gun here.

511
00:38:13,808 --> 00:38:16,466
He's the bird of prey.

512
00:38:24,957 --> 00:38:27,857
As the last of the day fades in the sky,

513
00:38:27,891 --> 00:38:31,343
night steals into the marsh.

514
00:38:34,553 --> 00:38:36,486
Out in the salt meadows,

515
00:38:36,521 --> 00:38:40,835
an osprey sits atop
an impressive stack of sticks.

516
00:38:40,870 --> 00:38:46,496
But nearby, another female
has barely any nest at all.

517
00:38:46,531 --> 00:38:49,534
She must be part of a very young pair

518
00:38:49,568 --> 00:38:52,502
that hasn't learned how to build.

519
00:38:52,537 --> 00:38:56,195
Suddenly, she's disturbed.

520
00:38:56,230 --> 00:38:59,233
♪

521
00:38:59,267 --> 00:39:00,924
It's a coyote.

522
00:39:00,959 --> 00:39:04,203
♪

523
00:39:04,238 --> 00:39:10,106
Casually, she takes the only egg
the young osprey managed to lay.

524
00:39:10,140 --> 00:39:13,385
♪

525
00:39:13,420 --> 00:39:16,975
The giant stick nest fares no better.

526
00:39:17,009 --> 00:39:23,119
♪

527
00:39:23,153 --> 00:39:27,537
Raccoons make a tidy meal
of every egg they find.

528
00:39:27,572 --> 00:39:33,819
♪

529
00:39:33,854 --> 00:39:35,683
In merely a moment,

530
00:39:35,718 --> 00:39:39,446
this nesting season is over.

531
00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:48,178
♪

532
00:39:48,213 --> 00:39:50,353
The osprey returns...

533
00:39:50,388 --> 00:39:54,668
and searches for her eggs...

534
00:39:54,702 --> 00:39:58,050
but all she can do is pick up the pieces.

535
00:39:58,085 --> 00:40:00,432
♪

536
00:40:00,467 --> 00:40:04,091
There will be no chicks
in her nest this year.

537
00:40:04,125 --> 00:40:08,923
♪

538
00:40:08,958 --> 00:40:10,856
In fact, there'll be no chicks

539
00:40:10,891 --> 00:40:13,203
in any of the osprey ground nests

540
00:40:13,238 --> 00:40:15,274
anywhere in the marsh.

541
00:40:15,309 --> 00:40:20,487
One by one, they will all
be raided and ruined.

542
00:40:20,521 --> 00:40:25,699
It's one of the hardest lessons
an osprey must learn.

543
00:40:25,733 --> 00:40:30,289
♪

544
00:40:44,062 --> 00:40:47,790
There's a new, restless energy
at the island osprey nest.

545
00:40:50,413 --> 00:40:53,209
The chicks have full-sized talons now,

546
00:40:53,243 --> 00:40:55,729
but they still don't know how to use them.

547
00:40:59,387 --> 00:41:02,218
They're almost the size of their parents,

548
00:41:02,252 --> 00:41:05,566
but their juvenile feathers,
trimmed in creamy white,

549
00:41:05,601 --> 00:41:09,777
and their bright orange eyes
mark them as mere teenagers.

550
00:41:09,812 --> 00:41:11,779
[Calling]

551
00:41:11,814 --> 00:41:13,816
They're always hungry...

552
00:41:13,850 --> 00:41:16,508
and quick to cry about it.

553
00:41:21,306 --> 00:41:24,965
Dad obliges with a fish and departs.

554
00:41:28,106 --> 00:41:31,868
Now, no parent feeds them.

555
00:41:31,903 --> 00:41:34,215
[Calling]

556
00:41:34,250 --> 00:41:36,942
Their mother simply stands by.

557
00:41:36,977 --> 00:41:42,223
She's fed each one every morsel
they have ever eaten...

558
00:41:42,258 --> 00:41:44,432
until now.

559
00:41:47,194 --> 00:41:50,749
They no longer need
her constant care in the nest.

560
00:41:50,784 --> 00:41:54,339
♪

561
00:41:54,373 --> 00:41:58,101
It's the beginning of the end
of an osprey family.

562
00:41:58,136 --> 00:42:01,311
♪

563
00:42:01,346 --> 00:42:04,418
Their mother is the first to leave.

564
00:42:04,452 --> 00:42:08,077
She's given all she has...

565
00:42:08,111 --> 00:42:10,907
and having fulfilled her mission
for this summer,

566
00:42:10,942 --> 00:42:16,326
she slowly heads south
to rest and recuperate.

567
00:42:16,361 --> 00:42:20,917
♪

568
00:42:24,611 --> 00:42:27,890
But their father continues
to bring food to the chicks

569
00:42:27,924 --> 00:42:30,340
for several more weeks.

570
00:42:33,102 --> 00:42:36,312
The young male is quick
to claim the latest fish.

571
00:42:40,419 --> 00:42:43,664
As he grows more aggressive,
arguments break out.

572
00:42:52,155 --> 00:42:55,193
The sisters, once so far ahead of him,

573
00:42:55,227 --> 00:42:58,334
now wait for him to finish.

574
00:42:58,368 --> 00:43:03,511
[Thunder rumbles]

575
00:43:03,546 --> 00:43:06,584
The nest is feeling smaller and smaller...

576
00:43:09,483 --> 00:43:12,279
...and he's eager
for a wider world.

577
00:43:24,809 --> 00:43:28,640
Even a torrential downpour
doesn't dampen his mood.

578
00:43:28,675 --> 00:43:31,332
It's exhilarating!

579
00:43:31,367 --> 00:43:36,441
♪

580
00:43:36,475 --> 00:43:41,549
♪

581
00:43:41,584 --> 00:43:45,243
He achieves a brief
but thrilling lift-off...

582
00:43:45,277 --> 00:43:48,971
his very first moment out of the nest.

583
00:43:49,005 --> 00:43:55,771
♪

584
00:43:55,805 --> 00:44:02,605
♪

585
00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:04,434
In the coming days,

586
00:44:04,469 --> 00:44:07,368
the young male takes to
floating above the nest,

587
00:44:07,403 --> 00:44:09,854
getting a feel for the wind.

588
00:44:09,888 --> 00:44:13,892
♪

589
00:44:13,927 --> 00:44:15,998
He was the last to hatch.

590
00:44:16,032 --> 00:44:19,449
Now, he's the first to fledge...

591
00:44:19,484 --> 00:44:22,694
♪

592
00:44:22,729 --> 00:44:25,317
...and his sisters
seem impressed.

593
00:44:25,352 --> 00:44:34,499
♪

594
00:44:34,533 --> 00:44:37,398
He graduates to short trips...

595
00:44:37,433 --> 00:44:40,608
♪

596
00:44:40,643 --> 00:44:43,646
...mastering take-offs

597
00:44:43,681 --> 00:44:45,959
and landings...

598
00:44:45,993 --> 00:44:47,995
almost.

599
00:44:48,030 --> 00:44:50,722
♪

600
00:44:50,757 --> 00:44:54,933
Inspired, his sisters begin
to stretch their wings.

601
00:44:54,968 --> 00:45:01,733
♪

602
00:45:01,768 --> 00:45:06,634
Soon, all three siblings
are soaring over the marsh.

603
00:45:06,669 --> 00:45:15,091
♪

604
00:45:15,126 --> 00:45:18,267
But the nest is still
a source of security.

605
00:45:18,301 --> 00:45:21,891
They often come home
and settle in for the night.

606
00:45:21,926 --> 00:45:28,726
♪

607
00:45:30,072 --> 00:45:32,005
It's mid-August.

608
00:45:32,039 --> 00:45:34,697
Another osprey summer
on the Connecticut coast

609
00:45:34,732 --> 00:45:36,872
is coming to a close.

610
00:45:49,850 --> 00:45:53,164
The male of the island nest
brings one last fish

611
00:45:53,198 --> 00:45:56,754
to the fledglings
he has nourished all summer.

612
00:46:05,038 --> 00:46:07,212
They may not know it yet,

613
00:46:07,247 --> 00:46:10,975
but their childhood is over.

614
00:46:11,009 --> 00:46:13,943
♪

615
00:46:13,978 --> 00:46:16,221
Their father's work is done.

616
00:46:16,256 --> 00:46:19,017
He's defended his nest against all comers

617
00:46:19,052 --> 00:46:22,124
and fed his family for months.

618
00:46:22,158 --> 00:46:25,403
He's been fierce and devoted.

619
00:46:25,437 --> 00:46:29,269
He is everything an osprey needs to be.

620
00:46:29,303 --> 00:46:31,478
♪

621
00:46:31,512 --> 00:46:35,689
Now, the long days of fishing
in the north are over.

622
00:46:35,723 --> 00:46:38,934
♪

623
00:46:38,968 --> 00:46:41,971
Ospreys fly from summer to summer,

624
00:46:42,006 --> 00:46:46,873
and it's his turn to head for
the sunlight of South America.

625
00:46:46,907 --> 00:46:53,949
♪

626
00:47:02,233 --> 00:47:06,720
The young male is still reveling
in his newfound joy of flying.

627
00:47:06,754 --> 00:47:08,411
♪

628
00:47:08,446 --> 00:47:11,345
He seeks out other fledglings
for mock battles.

629
00:47:11,380 --> 00:47:20,630
♪

630
00:47:20,665 --> 00:47:22,770
It's both play...

631
00:47:22,805 --> 00:47:24,358
and practice.

632
00:47:24,393 --> 00:47:32,850
♪

633
00:47:32,884 --> 00:47:34,886
He'll need to be good at it.

634
00:47:34,921 --> 00:47:38,131
He'll need the skill and courage
of his father.

635
00:47:38,165 --> 00:47:44,137
♪

636
00:47:44,171 --> 00:47:48,072
And all those fish
he probably took for granted

637
00:47:48,106 --> 00:47:51,075
he'll now have to catch for himself.

638
00:47:51,109 --> 00:47:57,357
♪

639
00:47:57,391 --> 00:48:00,394
Dad made it look so easy.

640
00:48:00,429 --> 00:48:08,575
♪

641
00:48:14,512 --> 00:48:16,652
A rainy day doesn't help at all.

642
00:48:26,627 --> 00:48:31,529
Not even his father could catch
a fish he couldn't see.

643
00:48:31,563 --> 00:48:33,807
♪

644
00:48:33,841 --> 00:48:37,155
But no one teaches an osprey how to fish.

645
00:48:37,190 --> 00:48:44,404
♪

646
00:48:44,438 --> 00:48:51,652
♪

647
00:48:51,687 --> 00:48:54,172
It just comes to him...

648
00:48:54,207 --> 00:48:56,554
a gift...

649
00:48:56,588 --> 00:49:00,489
from all the generations
of ospreys before him.

650
00:49:00,523 --> 00:49:04,079
♪

651
00:49:06,909 --> 00:49:10,154
It's the end of the season
on Long Island Sound.

652
00:49:10,188 --> 00:49:14,503
♪

653
00:49:14,537 --> 00:49:19,197
Every evening, thousands of
tree swallows fill the skies,

654
00:49:19,232 --> 00:49:23,926
intercepting a feast of insects
on their way to warmer weather.

655
00:49:23,961 --> 00:49:31,727
♪

656
00:49:31,761 --> 00:49:35,800
Before long, the flock grows
to a million strong...

657
00:49:35,834 --> 00:49:38,906
♪

658
00:49:38,941 --> 00:49:41,323
...swirling in syncopation...

659
00:49:41,357 --> 00:49:46,914
♪

660
00:49:46,949 --> 00:49:50,539
...preparing for their migration
to the Gulf of Mexico.

661
00:49:50,573 --> 00:49:53,783
♪

662
00:49:53,818 --> 00:49:57,477
It's the last great celebration of summer.

663
00:49:57,511 --> 00:50:02,240
♪

664
00:50:14,597 --> 00:50:18,739
The young ospreys linger in the
only place they have ever known.

665
00:50:23,054 --> 00:50:25,608
But temperatures are dropping.

666
00:50:25,643 --> 00:50:29,267
Fish are heading into deeper water.

667
00:50:29,302 --> 00:50:32,098
The fledglings must be on their way.

668
00:50:32,132 --> 00:50:34,790
♪

669
00:50:34,824 --> 00:50:38,932
Finally, our young male takes to the sky.

670
00:50:38,966 --> 00:50:43,764
♪

671
00:50:43,799 --> 00:50:47,872
How he will find good wintering
grounds remains a mystery.

672
00:50:47,906 --> 00:50:51,565
♪

673
00:50:51,600 --> 00:50:56,225
The dangers that lie ahead
for him we can scarcely imagine.

674
00:50:56,260 --> 00:50:59,090
♪

675
00:50:59,125 --> 00:51:00,919
But if fate is kind,

676
00:51:00,954 --> 00:51:04,095
in a few years he'll return...

677
00:51:04,130 --> 00:51:08,272
to compete for a place
in the marsh of his birth.

678
00:51:08,306 --> 00:51:12,828
♪

679
00:51:16,107 --> 00:51:19,938
The birds of summer have all flown.

680
00:51:19,973 --> 00:51:22,424
♪

681
00:51:22,458 --> 00:51:24,322
For those left behind,

682
00:51:24,357 --> 00:51:28,119
it's time to face the coming cold.

683
00:51:28,154 --> 00:51:37,163
♪

684
00:51:37,197 --> 00:51:40,580
The marsh bows down to winter.

685
00:51:40,614 --> 00:51:46,310
♪

686
00:51:46,344 --> 00:51:52,109
♪

687
00:51:52,143 --> 00:51:56,043
It, too, gets to rest and replenish,

688
00:51:56,078 --> 00:52:00,979
preparing for all the wild
travelers that will need it...

689
00:52:01,014 --> 00:52:03,534
♪

690
00:52:03,568 --> 00:52:05,881
...when it's spring again...

691
00:52:05,915 --> 00:52:09,298
and the ospreys come home.

692
00:52:09,333 --> 00:52:14,061
♪

693
00:52:17,306 --> 00:52:25,280
♪

694
00:52:25,314 --> 00:52:33,288
♪

695
00:52:33,322 --> 00:52:41,365
♪

696
00:52:41,399 --> 00:52:49,442
♪

697
00:52:49,476 --> 00:52:51,375
♪

698
00:52:51,409 --> 00:52:52,859
♪

699
00:52:52,893 --> 00:52:54,999
♪

700
00:52:55,033 --> 00:52:56,034
♪